The 56th Fighter Group was led by some of Americas greatest fighter leaders of World War II and was home to many of its leading fighter Aces. Under successive commanders Hub Zemke, Robert Landry and David Schilling, the 56th destroyed more enemy aircraft in combat than any other fighter group in the Eighth Air Force. Arriving in England in January 1943 under the command of Colonel Hub Zemke, a master tactician and fearless leader, the 56th quickly emerged as an outstanding fighting unit. The only Eighth Air Force Group to fly P-47 Thunderbolts throughout the war, the 56th spawned more fighter Aces than any other USAAF group - legends such as Gabby Gabreski, Robert Johnson and the colourful Ace Walker Bud Mahurin. Under Hub Zemkes mercurial leadership they became known and feared as Zemkes Wolfpack. On 26 November, 1943, the P-47s of the 56th Fighter Group were tasked to escort B-24 Liberators of the 392nd Bomb Group on a dangerous mission to attack the heavily defended industrial and dockyard facilities in the German port of Bremen. Zemke knew the Luftwaffe would be waiting for them as they approached the target, and they were - in force! It was to become a day of high drama. With the Luftwaffe throwing all the fighters they could muster at the American heavy bombers, a massive aerial battle ensued. In the running dogfights high over Bremen, the Wolfpack claimed their most successful action of the war with 23 confirmed kills, 3 probables, and 9 damaged, creating an all-time record in the European Theatre. The 392nds B-24 Liberators could not have been in safer hands on that eventful day.

The relief of Bastogne turned the tide in the Battle of the Bulge and Hitlers final great offensive of World War II lay in ruins. P47 Thunderbolts of the 406th Fighter Group, in company with P38 Lightnings, support the advancing armor of General George Pattons US Third Army as they prepare to relieve the battered 101st Airborne Division from their heroic defence of Bastogne during the final climax to the Battle of the Bulge, 24 December 1944. The Battle of the Bulge was one of the largest land battles of WWII with more than a million American, British and German troops involved, incurring huge casualties on all sides and this release pays tribute to the sacrifice of Allied Forces, during this important milestone in World War II.

To purchase these prints individually at their normal retail price would cost £690.00 . By buying them together in this special pack, you save £215

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*The value given for each signature has been calculated by us based on the historical significance and rarity of the signature. Values of many pilot signatures have risen in recent years and will likely continue to rise as they become more and more rare.

Les Smith was born on October 31, 1918, in Mitchell, South Dakota. He graduated from Fresno State College in May 1940, and entered the Aviation Cadet Program of the U.S. Army Air Forces on November 7, 1941. Smith was commissioned a 2d Lt and awarded his pilot wings at Kelly Field, Texas, on July 3, 1942, and then joined the 61st Fighter Squadron of the 56th Fighter Group, deploying with the group to England in January 1943. Arriving in England in February 1943, Les Smith flew two tours with the 56th Fighter Group, first as flight leader of the 61st Fighter Squadron, then as Commanding Officer of the 62nd Fighter Squadron. During that time he notched up 7 aerial victories,plus 4.5 on the ground while strafing enemy airfields. Les Smith became commander of the 62nd Fighter Squadron of the 56th Fighter Group in September 1944, and destroyed 1 more enemy aircraft in the air before becoming Deputy Commander of the 56th Fighter Group in January 1945 ending the war as Deputy Group Commanding Officer. He transferred to the 65th Fighter Wing in England and served as Air Inspector from April to June 1945. Col Les Smith left active duty and on the 10th of January 1946 joined the Air Force Reserve, serving until May 18, 1948, after which he joined the California Air National Guard. Col Les Smith served as Commander of the 144th Fighter Group from May to July 1948, and Commander of the 194th Fighter Squadron from July 1948 to April 1952, and Commander of the 144th Fighter Group from May 1952 to September 1955. Col Smith then served on the staff of the 144th Fighter Interceptor Wing from September 1955 to September 1957, followed by service as Deputy Commander of the 144th Air Defense Wing from September 1957 to January 1959. Gen Smiths final assignment was as Commander of the 144th Air Defense Wing from January 1959 and finally on 1st july 1963 he retired from the California Air National Guard. He was awarded the Medal of Honor in 2015. He died on 2nd September 2016.

Joining the service in 1941, Lyle Adrianse was one of the early members of the 56th Fighter Group, arriving in England with them in early 1943 and flying P47s with the 63rd Fighter Squadron. He completed a total of 101 combat missions with the Group, and remained in Europe until the end of the war.

Flying with the 63rd Fighter Squadron, 56th Fighter Group, Walter Groce flew the first of his 73 combat missions shortly after D-Day, 1944. He flew the longest combat mission in a P-47 without landing, after bailing out on his return. Scoring 3.5 victories he was one of the rare breed of fighter pilots to have shot down an Me262 jet in combat, claiming a share of one on 1st November 1944.

Joining up in September 1942, Russell Kyler flew 57 combat missions in P-47s with the 61st Fighter Squadron, 56th Fighter Group, from September 1944 until the end of World War II. Enlisting in the army after the war, he then flew two tours on Huey helicopters during the conflict in Vietnam.

Born on January 21st, 1923, in Cassbille, Mo., Billy Edens graduated form school on June 1st, 1942, and on the 27th of June Billy Edens joined the Army Air Corp. On May 3rd 1943 Edens became an aviation cadet and received all his flight training in Alabama, receiving his wings and commission on November 3rd 1943. Second Lieutenant Edens was assigned to the 62nd Fighter Squadron of the 56th Fighter Group in England in April 1944. On the 8th of June 1944, while defending flight leader Mark Moseley, Edens destroyed two Me109s and an Fw190 to earn a triple in one day. On 10th September 1944 during his 89th and final mission Edens was hit by flak over France and shot down (for the fourth time) while strafing the Seligenstadt Airdrome and became a POW at Stalag Luft I in Barth, Germany for the remainder of the war. Edens wouold go on to fly F-84s during the Korean War, where he would again be shot down but not captured. That was the end of his flying during the Korean war but, Eden, who had flown 153 missions, went on to fly F-100s in Vietnam, becoming a full colonel during his second tour. Col. Billy G. Edens received the Silver Star, DFC with 3 OLCs, Bronze Star, Purple Heart with one OLC, and the Air Medal with 15 OLCs.

Robert James Rankin was born on 23rd October 1918 in Washington, D.C. Joining the Army Air Corps on 6th March 1941, he served in the enlisted ranks until he became an aviation cadet on 15th July 1942. He graduated from pilot training at Luke Field, Arizona on 11 April 1943. Posted to join the 56th Fighter Group, he arrived in based at Halesworth, England in April 1943 and was allocated to the 61st Fighter Squadron. His victories steadily mounted and by the end of the war his tally stood at 10 aerial victories. Rankin's record day came on 12th May 1944, flying in bomber formation to deceive the enemy into mistaking them for the bomber force, at a predetermined point the 56th fanned out into flights of four to encounter enemy fighters forming up to intercept the "bombers". Rankin led his flight to an attack on 25 plus Me-109s, claiming two kills. A short time later, he and his wingman joined with the Group Commander who was circling with 50 plus enemy fighters. Providing cover for the Group Commander, Rankin destroyed three Me-109s. He became the European Theater of Operations first P-47 pilot to score five victories on one mission. Rankin served in the Korean War, serving as director of operations for the 4th Fighter-Interceptor Wing. During the next 11 years, he commanded six fighter-Interceptor squadrons. On the 9th November 1963 Rankin was promoted to Colonel , he retired as Vice-Commander of the 20th Air Division on 1 April 1973. Shorty Rankin passed away on 14th March 2013.

Walker Melville "Bud" Mahurin was born in Ann Arbor, Michigan on 5th December 1918. He joined the Army reserves on 29th September 1941 and entered flight training, being commissioned as a pilot on the 29th of April 1942 at Ellington Field Texas. 'Bud' Mahurin gained a reputation as one of the USAAF's most colourful fighter Aces. Arriving in the European theatre, flying with the 56th Fighter Group at Boxted, England, on the 17th of August the 56th Fighter group flew escort for the Eighth Air Force Bombers whose mission was to bomb Schweinfurt and Regensburg. They encountered a large force of German fighters and Bud Mahurin shot down two Fw190s. He went on to become an Ace on the 4th of October, and by the end of November he had achieved 10 kills. Bud Mahurin was promoted to Major on the 21st of March 1944. On the 27th of March he shared a victory of a Do217 but was hit by the bomber and was forced to bail out of his Thunderbolt, when his aircraft was set ablaze by the gunfire. Mahurin evaded the Germans with help of the French resistance and returned to Britian. He had by this time shot down 20 German aircraft. He then transferred to the south west Pacific Commanding the 3rd Air Commando Squadron where he added a Japanese aircraft to his score, shooting down a KI-46 Dinah, making hinm one of very few American pilots to shoot down German and Japanese aircraft. Mahurin saw combat from New Guinea to Okinawa. After this tour he returned to the US and was promoted to Lieutenant-Colonel. After the war he spent two tours at the Pentagon and went on to obtain an aeronautical engineering degree. During the Korean War 'Bud' Mahurin commanded the 4th Fighter Interceptor Group in Korea where he added 3.5 MiG-15s to his tally before being shot down in his Sabre. He was shot down by ground fire on the 13th of May 1952, and bailed out for the last time, to spend a gruelling sixteen months as a POW in North Korea undergoing extensive torture. Mahurin returned to the US and stayed in the USAF until 1956 when he worked for the aerospace industry. Sadly, Bud Mahurin passed away on 11th May 2010.

Posted to fly P-47s with the 56th Fighter Group in England, ed Whitley was an original cadre member of the 63rd Fighter Squadron. His first combat mission came in April 1943, and another 35 were to follow. He was credited with two air victories, one of which came on 17th August 1943 - the famous Double Strike mission when the 8th Air Force bombed Schweinfurt and Regensberg.

Volunteering to fly with the RAF, John Bradshaw flew Spitfires with 41 Squadron. An experienced pilot, he transferred to the USAAF in 1943 and was immediately posted to the 56th Fighter Group, flying with the 63rd Fighter Squadron. He flew a total of 126 combat missions, flew on D-Dat, belly-landed twice in Holland, and downed 1.5 enemy aircraft.

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*The value given for each signature has been calculated by us based on the historical significance and rarity of the signature. Values of many pilot signatures have risen in recent years and will likely continue to rise as they become more and more rare.

Already a member of the National Guard, Duke transferred to the regular US First Army in 1941. Posted to Europe he arrived in England before D-Day, took part in the invasion and fought his way through France and Belgium, and on to Cologne. He then fought in the Ardennes at Bastogne during the Battle of the Bulge, and on to the Rhine Crossing and the capture of Cologne.

Gordon joined the Army in February 1943, nd was posted to the 447th AAA (anti-aircraft) Battalion. As part of the 28th Artillery Division, 109th Field artillery Battalion, he landed in Normandy on 7th June during the D-Day invasion force, and advanced through the constant fighting in France. He took part in the hectic fighting in the dreadful winter conditions during the Battle of the Bulge in the Ardennes, and advanced with the Division into Germany until the final day of the war.

As soon as he was able to enlist, Peter Howenstein joined the Army in March 1943, and following basic training found himself en-route to Europe, landing in England as part of the 319th Infantry Regiment, 80th Division. As part of the US 3rd Army under General Patton, he landed at Utah Beach during the Normandy landings, and fought his way with the unit through France and Belgium, having the Bronze Star pinned on him by General Patton personally on 11th November 1944. Peter served throughout the Battle of the Bulge in the Ardennes, and on into Germany.

Having joined the service in 1942, Howard Park trained as a fighter pilot. Posted to Europe to join the 406th Fighter Group in April 1944, he flew over 140 combat missions with the 513th Fighter Squadron on rocket firing ground attack P47 Thunderbolts, Howard flew the P47 'Big Ass Bird'. On D-Day the 406th were the first Fighter Group in action over Utah Beach. Engaged heavily on attacking ground targets, Howard sank a German naval vessel in Brest harbour using air-to-ground rockets, but still managed to notch up victories over three Me109s in only five aerial encounters with the enemy. During the Battle of the Bulge, the 406th FG were the only 9th Air Force unit exclusively assigned to the defence of the beleaguered town of Bastogne, attacking the besieging German forces with devastating success. Howard flew P47s in combat through until the final days of the war in May 1945.

Joining up in 1943, Frank Denison was posted to the ETO after training, arriving in England for training in the long months prior to D-Day. Serving with C Company, 326 Parachute (Engineer) Battalion, part of the 101st Airborne he took part in the 6th June D-Day landings in Normandy, and fought his way with the unit through Holland, before swinging into action during the violent fighting around Bastogne during the Battle of the Bulge. During the crossing of the Rhine, at Hagenaw, he was hit by enemy fire and wounded.

Bill True served with the 506th Parachute Regiment which was attached to the 101st Airborne. He took part in the initial parachute drop into France with the 101st on D-Day, and by the end of the day they were in control of the high ground overlooking the invasion beach. Bill made his second combat drop with the 101st near Eindhoven during Operation Market Garden, before, in December 1944, finding himself in the thick of the action defending the town of Bastogne during the Battle of the Bulge, where the 506th defended the eastern perimeter section of the town. Advancing into Germany, the 506th's final mission of the war was the capture of Hitler's Eagle Nest at Bergtesgarden on 4th - 5th May 1945. He died on 20th March 2017.

Murray Shapiro joined the army in September 1941, and after training went on active service with the 112th Infantry Regiment, 28th Division, moving to Europe in October 1943 for further training in England and Wales prior to the Normandy Invasion. Going into combat a few weeks after D-Day, Murray advanced through France with his unit and was in the thick of the fighting when Von Rundstedt launched his crack divisions at Bastogne during the Battle of the Bulge.

Technician John Moseley went to Europe with A Company, 112th Infantry Regiment, 28th Division, landing with the unit in Normandy and seeing his first action just outside St Lo before the 28th began its drive towards Paris, taking part in the liberation of the city. He took part in the heavy fighting in the Hurtgen forest, followed by the Battle of the Bulge at Bastogne. The 28th were the first US Division into Germany. John returned to the US in September 1945 with the same Tech unit he had arrived with.